


Expanding Empire

by BlackHunter666



Series: Many Lives, One Global Fight [3]
Category: Assassin's Creed, Scarecrow Series - Matthew Reilly
Genre: Dreaming Big, Games, Gen, M/M, comic books, figurines, movies - Freeform, novels
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-12-07
Updated: 2016-08-23
Packaged: 2018-05-05 11:28:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,235
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5373662
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BlackHunter666/pseuds/BlackHunter666
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Petruccio's come up with a plan to help his family rebuild the Order once again, having noticed that recruitment figures are down on the previous years. Though he made the choice to not take up the hidden blade, he is still determined to help his family and he's come up with an audacious plan to meet their needs and answer some questions that still linger.</p><p>(This is a side story to the main story, I'm not exactly sure where it fits in but I still wanted to write it)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Plan

Returning home after another long day at university, Petruccio gratefully unbound his hair from the uncomfortable bun he had to wear and handed his book bag to Genoveffa to take up to his room. He wasn't totally comfortable with still having servants but it was all part of the show so he put up with it. At least these servants were paid properly for their efforts and were well cared for in return for all their service.  
'Home already Petruccio? We weren't expecting you for another few hours.' Giovanni called, emerging from his office in ordinary clothes.  
'My afternoon class was cancelled due to a prank gone wrong.' Petruccio sighed, shaking out his hair quickly. 'Already been out and about today, padre?'  
'Si, your mother and I went for a walk earlier. Ezio is out there somewhere with Rosa and their children.' Giovanni chuckled, resting one hand on Petruccio's shoulder. 'I am surprised Amanda is not with you.'  
'She still had class but said she would come by later.' Petruccio nodded, looking up at his father. 'I have been thinking…'  
'Uh-oh.' Giovanni uttered, turning to his son. 'The most dangerous words to come from an Auditore.'  
'Maybe from Ezio or zio Mario.' Petruccio grinned, continuing into the palazzo. 'I think I might have come up with another plan to supplement our wealth.'  
'Oh, and what would that be?' Giovanni asked, heading towards the library.  
'People are still curious about the Auditore and our history. Every day, people at university still ask me about the family and how we have managed to hold onto power since the renaissance. There are so many stories to tell, so many options to explore and I found a way we could spread those stories to all who want to hear them. It might also work as a way to recruit more Assassins to the Order.' Petruccio explained, patting the sheaf of papers he had kept close with the roll of paper he had in the other hand.  
'You certainly have my attention, figlio. What have you come up with?' Giovanni nodded, settling on the couch and waiting for Petruccio to join him.

Sorting out the pages into three piles on the table beside them and setting the roll on the floor, Petruccio thought for a moment before picking up one and flicking through it quickly. He really hoped his family would go for this idea, he had never taken up the blade but he could see the stress that his father lived with, constantly trying to find new recruits for the Order.  
'I asked three of my friends to create a few rough ideas, based off things I told them about the family. Jolanda majors in literature and created this short story from a memory I shared of you and zio Mario.' Petruccio continued, handing the document over cautiously. 'I gave away no secrets, father, I promise.'

Accepting the pages, Giovanni raised one eyebrow in question before settling back to read the story. The title was a little unusual, "Fledglings", but as he settled into the story, he could understand the choice. How Petruccio had known about that day, Giovanni could only guess but somehow he had managed to share the day that Giovanni had left Monteriggioni for a new life in Firenze. The story itself was beautifully written, so full of emotion and her depiction of Mario was absolutely perfect.  
'Is this really how you see me, Petruccio?' Giovanni asked, glancing up from the story.  
'Of course not, father. That's the way zio Mario told the story.' Petruccio replied, busy sorting out another sheaf of paper.  
'Ah, I see. That explains some of these…discrepancies.' Giovanni nodded, shifting into a more comfortable position. 'It's a good story, but Mario's telling leaves a little to be desired.'  
'It's only an idea at this stage. If that's what Jolanda can write with a basic description of each character and a dot point brief of the plot, imagine what she could create with more characters and a bigger plot.' Petruccio shrugged, leaning forward a little. 'Not just one novel but a full series. Each one focused on a different Assassin and their actions in history. Altair, Malik and Kadar during the Crusades. The Auditore chronicles. Connor and the American Revolution. Edward on the high seas. We can share those stories, allowing people to experience what we have and maybe, some of those readers will find their way to the Brotherhood.'

Surprised by Petruccio's grand plan, Giovanni looked at the short story with a new interest and wondered if maybe this wild plan would work. It was true, initiations to the Brotherhood were down across the globe so perhaps something like this would be just the shot in the arm that they needed to bolster their numbers.  
'Go on, I can see you have more to share, figlio. Let me see what other grand ideas you have.' Giovanni nodded, setting the story aside and turning his full attention back to his second son.  
'This one was written by Giordano, he wants to become a famous playwright one day, or write scripts for big movies. So I told him about the moment zio Mario and zia Emilia admitted their love. Zia told me the story years later, it made her happy to remember that moment.' Petruccio beamed, handing over the second collection of pages.

Reading the carefully thought out descriptions of the location and wardrobe, Giovanni smiled softly as his mind conjured up an image of the rooftop of the family villa and placed Emilia and Mario exactly as the script positioned them. He could hear their voices so clearly, reciting the words that had been shared on that ancient roof. Giovanni could feel the emotions and ignored the snigger from Petruccio as he dabbed a tear from one eye. He'd never heard the full story of how Emilia won Mario's heart but now that he had, it was even more amazing than he'd thought possible.  
'Were you thinking movies or stage shows, Petruccio?' Giovanni questioned, looking up from the script slowly.  
'Either would work but movies would have a wider audience. Stage shows would be limited to Italia but movies are global. We could even try for an opera if we were feeling especially brave.' Petruccio replied, relaxing a little more now that Giovanni was accepting his ideas.  
'No operas, Petruccio. Assassins and opera houses are not a good mix.' Giovanni insisted, scratching at his hair quickly. 'Many an Assassin has struck in the darkness of an opera house.'  
'You're continuing that story later.' Petruccio insisted, shuffling the third pile in his hands as he looked up at his father. 'If not, I'll just ask zio Mario. He always tells great stories.'  
'Va bene, but only if you promise to never mention that opera idea to your mother.' Giovanni agreed, setting the script aside and wondering what else Petruccio had to show him.

Breaking down the third collection of pages into several smaller piles that he placed neatly on the table, Petruccio thumbed through the first set with a smile on his lips before holding them out to his father. If nothing else, he hoped to get a laugh when Giovanni looked at the short graphic novel he'd been handed.  
'This one was created by Alvisio and Artemio, they're both studying graphic design. Alvisio did the lines and Artemio coloured it. They wrote it together, following the guidance I shared from Vanni and Renzo.' Petruccio grinned, thrilled with the graphic novel and hopeful that his father would see the possibilities in a comic series.

Flipping through the graphic novel he'd been handed, Giovanni instantly got caught up in a complex swirl of emotions and thoughts. At first he smiled and chuckled softly at the images of young Luisa in the villa kitchens, standing on her tiptoes to grab a heavy frying pan from the bench before taking off with her prize. His smile disappeared when he saw the damaged city he still thought of as home and followed Luisa on a run along the towering walls with her frypan clutched to her chest. He could almost feel her panic and desperation as she dodged the falling stones and skipped around the large gaps torn open by Cesare's cannons. His breath caught as she came close to being grabbed by Borgia troops before nimbly slipping away from them until she was perched on a familiar ledge above the main gates of Monteriggioni.

Turning the page again, Giovanni gasped and stared at the larger image covering the upper third of this page. Of course he knew about the 1500 Siege of Monteriggioni, he'd read all about it and had asked everyone to share their memories of that day but all of that did little to prepare him for the sight of his older brother, helpless on the cobbles of their home. He felt rage at the Borgia and sorrow for his brother, he grieved for his shattered family but he also felt proud of his family for enduring so much.

Reining in his emotions again, Giovanni paused for a moment to regain his composure before continuing with the story. He felt a little guilty for laughing, especially with that image of Mario still in the corner of his eye but he couldn't help it. There was something hilarious in seeing dear little Luisa taking her very first leap of faith with a frying pan clutched in both hands. It was even better to witness her bringing that frying pan down on Cesare's head and shoulder and still managing to kick him in the groin before landing safely beside Mario. Turning to the last page, Giovanni smiled as Mario staggered to his feet, grabbed his daughter and fled as Cesare retreated from the city.  
'Now this I really like, figlio. It's so full of emotion and energy without being too bloody or violent. I could definitely see a lot of these being made, focusing on the little moments or covering wider ranges in weekly instalments.' Giovanni nodded, setting the graphic novel aside as he wondered how Mario would react to seeing it.  
'I had a feeling you would like that one dad, but there's still more.' Petruccio replied, holding out the remaining pages. 'These were created by a team of graphic designers. They could be movie posters, video game posters or covers, collectable posters or whatever else we imagine. The first challenge was creating a brand, after that everything fell into place easily.'

The first image in the stack was simple in its design, the familiar Assassin symbol in blood red on a pale grey background and the words ASSASSIN'S CREED written across and around it in such a way as the second A formed the upper point of the symbol and the CREED created the lower curve of the familiar emblem.

Moving to the second page, Giovanni's jaw dropped again as he came face to face with another memory. The new brand logo sat low on the page, blending into the wall filling the lower quarter of the page. The rest of the page was filled with a blurred and faded image of Monteriggioni and in the foreground, perched on the battlements in full uniform, Giovanni and Mario looked out with a fierce determination in their eyes. They were young and fit, Mario's face unmarred by that horrid scar that had robbed him of so much.

Another page, this time with a fuzzy image of Firenze in the background and the brand logo at the top of the page, Giovanni and Ezio crouched on the golden cross atop the Santa Maria del Fiore, both proudly wearing the Auditore colours on their left shoulders. Looking closer, Giovanni scowled a little at the age showing on his face. Ezio looked young and fresh, ready for a battle beside his father.

Continuing through the images, Giovanni wouldn't help but admire the incredible details that had gone into each image. Altair in mid leap, robes fluttering in the breeze. Malik and Kadar standing on the battlements of Masyaf. Volpe free running in Firenze, a cheeky glint in his violet gaze. Connor and Haytham, blades crossed as they glared at each other. Edward at the helm of his Jackdaw with Adewalè at his side. Duncan and Clipper peering out of a hay cart with redcoats in the background. Emilia and Giovanni sparring in the palazzo courtyard. Bartolomeo and Mario, swords raised as they charged into battle together. Yusuf overlooking Istanbul with a much older Ezio beside him. Vanni and Renzo pressed back to back with their swords held ready. Kadar leaping to the defence of Lorenza, now full grown. Antonio balanced on a mooring pole in one of Venezia's many canals. Rosa and Franco, apprentices to big brother Ezio on the walls of Firenze. The last image in the stack showed Shaun and Rebecca in ordinary street clothes, their hidden blades held ready by their sides.

So many possible outcomes, each one rendered with stunning detail and telling a story without appearing cluttered or over planned. The artists had somehow managed to capture everyone in their element, filling the pages with life and vitality but never once denying that their stories were full of blood and death. Already Giovanni could see the potential in so many of these images, there were so many stories that could be told but he'd been blind to the possibilities until now.  
'I can definitely see some of these as movie posters but others would work better as book covers I think.' Giovanni nodded, flipping through the images again. 'I especially like this one with Emilia and Mario in flight.'  
'I personally really like this one.' Petruccio grinned, flipping through the stack and pulling out one.  
'Ah yes, that's a good one.' Giovanni agreed, taking the image of Ezio and Mario on horseback.  
'But this is my absolute favourite image of all.' Petruccio chuckled, getting up and picking up the rolled page by his feet.

Padding over to the large desk in one corner, Petruccio untied the purple ribbon around the roll and set it down, pinning the corners under Giovanni's ledger and another book taken from the nearest shelf. Looking up at his father with a smile, he unrolled the massive work slowly and listened to the stunned gasp from his father as he pinned the remaining corners with a rack of throwing knives and another book.  
'This is the culmination of everything I talked about with the design team. Hundreds of photos, hours of conversation and weeks of research into every little detail. But finally this came together.' Petruccio explained, taking a step back so Giovanni could fully appreciate the artwork.

Covering half his desk, this image was far grander than anything Giovanni had ever seen before. The background was a collection of blurred and faded images; Masyaf, Jerusalem, Monteriggioni, Firenze, Venezia, Roma, Istanbul, Nassau, colonial America, and modern day New York. In front of this complex background, so many familiar faces had been gathered and layered to create a grand gathering of Assassins through the ages. Every Assassin that Giovanni considered family or friend was shown somewhere in the image, each one relax but still ready to leapt into action. They weren't just standing around either, the artists had carefully thought about the positioning of every character and placed them appropriately in the image.

Altair, arms thrown wide in the middle of a leap from the walls of Masyaf and drawing the eyes down to Malik, seated in his bureau and busy drawing a new map as Kadar approached with a bloody feather in one hand. Giovanni wished that the story of the Al-Sayf brothers was like this but it was still a nice way to place the brothers into the image.

Over the faded details of Monteriggioni, Mario led the charge into battle, his favourite sword already drawn and marked with blood. To his left, Emily stood tall, sword extended and baby Vincenzio clutched to her chest. The rest of their brood gathered around their mother, Vanni and Renzo with daggers raised to protect their younger siblings. Giovanni had little doubt that every last one of them would become Assassins when they were old enough.

Gaze drawn to the image of Firenze, Giovanni can't help but chuckle softly at the depictions of those around him. Volpe, leaning casually against a wall as one of his thieves whispered the latest news to him. Paola walking along a street, the look of a hunter in her eyes as she revealed her hidden blade. Niccolò sitting peacefully by the river, one hand resting on his sword as he gazed out at the world.. His own likeness had been caught mid swing, one hand latched onto a balcony support as the other reached out to the next handhold in front of him.

In Venezia, Bartolomeo stood tall at the gates of his mercenari barracks with the mighty Bianca in his hands as he called a challenge to whoever dared threaten his home city. Antonio moved effortlessly among the people, one hand raised to nudge a richly coloured blur aside as he cut their purse from their belt. Teodora had a knowing glint in her eyes as she reclined on a chaise in her establishment.

Turning his attention to Roma, Giovanni smiled at the sight of Ezio, full grown and every inch a Master Assassin. In the background, the Colosseum stood in ruins but the majestic building was overshadowed by Ezio's bold positioning. Arms thrust out wide, he had two Borgia guards by the throat, and his paired hidden blades sunk deep into their flesh. That was the first real sign of violence on the poster but it wasn't too gory considering everything.

Yusuf looked so free and wild in Istanbul, flying along a zipline stretched above the ancient city. Hair kicked up by the wind and very clearly a totally different style of Assassin to those who had come before him, he offered a glimpse into a time that most people had either forgotten about or simply didn't care about. But here was a chance to revitalise that time in the minds of people.

Nassau also had the free and wild feeling about it, so full of energy and excitement as Anne walked along the beach calmly and Mary sat nearby with a tankard in one hand. Adewalè stood watch near them, a pistol in one hand and a sword in the other. All three were looking out to sea where Edward could be seen at the helm of his mighty Jackdaw, ready for another adventure in the West Indies and beyond.

The colonial American scene differed from the others, split down the middle by a stunning tree. On one side Connor reclined against a branch, sighting down a nocked arrow at something off to his left. Below him, Clipper leant back against the tree, musket resting across his shoulders as he shared a joke with Duncan seated on a fallen branch nearby. Deborah running in from the far left, two rabbits held in one hand as Stephane stirred the fire at the centre of the gathering. Jacob reclined between Stephane and Duncan, looking up at Connor as Jamie dressed a bloody wound in his right calf.

On the other side of the tree, Haytham stood tall and proud, hands clasped behind his back and his cloak fluttering in the breeze. Beside him, Charles knelt to pet one of his dogs but his crystal eyes were focused on something else. Jonathon sat nearby, his musket leaning against the tree stump he had taken for a seat. William stood between the two relaxing soldiers, an exasperated look on his face as he watched Thomas sleeping on the forest floor.

Finally, on an unknown street in New York, Rebecca and Shaun made for an impressive display even though they weren't a common team for missions. Shaun stood tall, rifle pressed to his shoulder as he sighted on an unknown enemy. Rebecca took a knee to his right, pistol held steady and a dark look in her usually vibrant eyes.

Along the bottom, in the same script as the logo at the top of the page, someone with a gift for words had come up with a slogan for this new venture and Giovanni quite liked the idea. It fit with the Assassin ways and connected with their greatest symbol.  
'Fly through history on Eagle wings.' Giovanni smiled, nodding slowly as he turned to Petruccio again. 'I'm surprised. I expected you to go with a more familiar slogan.'  
'I thought about it but wanted to ask permission first. The creed is yours to use, not mine.' Petruccio replied, sliding a thin strip of paper out from under the large poster and handing one end to Giovanni. 'I asked Francesca to make this up just in case. We discussed it but decided that the Arabic translation wouldn't work.'  
'This is far more fitting.' Giovanni nodded, slipping the new slogan under the book to cover the eagle slogan. 'These are the words we all live by, it's only right that this is the slogan for this grand plan to bring Assassins back to the world.'

Pulling Petruccio closer, Giovanni had to admire just how far his second son was willing to go for his family, even though he had made the choice to stay away from the true business of the Auditore. In a way, Giovanni was grateful for Petruccio's choice. Now he could properly focus on training both his sons in their professions, not that Ezio really needed any further instruction as an Assassin. He had already surpassed Giovanni's skill level and proven to be a shining star for the family. Giovanni just hoped that Petruccio would show the same talents with finances once he had finished his degree and could take over the other side of the family business.  
'I can't help but wonder what your Aunt and Uncle will make of all this.' Giovanni chuckled, looking down at Petruccio with a grin.  
'We'll find out soon enough. I dispatched a courier with copies of everything and a recording of the spiel I gave you.' Petruccio shrugged, watching the amusement and curiosity on Giovanni's face.  
'Well, I guess we will have to wait and see what happens.' Giovanni nodded, hopeful that Mario and Emilia would agree to the project. 'Now go and see your mother, you know she worries.'


	2. Discussions

'And just how is Gilberto supposed to do any of this?' Niccolò growled, turning away from the images on the wall. 'I seriously doubt Bart could get away with such violence either.'  
'Niccolò, calm down. These are just ideas.' Paola sighed, shaking her head slowly.  
'This is no different from the displays I do for the city.' Bartolomeo added, resting one hand on Bianca's hilt lightly. 'Do not think you need to speak for me on this.'  
'Tesoro, we can make this work. Stop worrying about any hurt to my pride or dignity.' Gilberto added, reaching out to wrap one hand around Niccolò's fist. 'I see no barriers here, only chances to learn and explore new ways to do things.'  
'This is certainly ambitious but it can be done.' Robert agreed, still gazing at the images.  
'Just think of all the possibilities and the benefit to our Order.' Edward chuckled, amazed by the images and dreaming of the options available.  
'Think of all the dangers, people could be seriously hurt trying this.' Niccolò protested, blind to the possibilities ahead.  
'If you don't want to be involved, so be it. We'll write Machiavelli out of the story.' Giovanni snapped, turning to the younger man. 'You are not essential to the telling of the stories we had considered using.'  
'We don't have to write Machiavelli out, Giovanni. I have little doubt we could find an actor to replace him.' Emilia replied, joining the gathering at last.  
'What do you mean we could find an actor? I thought we'd already considered several that would fit.' Mario countered, slipping one arm around her waist. 'Or was that list solely for Volpe?'  
'There are a couple that would fit either role but I was mostly focused on finding Volpe.' Emilia shrugged, whacking him on the head with a rolled up parchment. 'Unlike some of us that were blinded by dreams of running free again.'  
'Can you blame me, amore?' Mario laughed, letting her go and heading towards his brother. 'Aside from a couple of doubters, the feedback sounds positive.'  
'Si, he will be pleased with that outcome.' Giovanni agreed, still admiring the massive team poster.

Taking advantage of the mid-winter quiet in both cities, the massed team had gathered at Monteriggioni to discuss Petruccio's grand plan. Due to university commitments, Petruccio wasn't present for the meeting but Giovanni had a feeling that he would be happy with the open discussion and mostly positive response to his ideas.  
'Petruccio certainly isn't afraid to dream big.' Teodora remarked, admiring one of the figurines that had been delivered to add to the display.  
'Is that really a surprise? Considering his family line.' Rosa smirked, flipping through one of the graphic novels on display.  
'I'm still not sure that my actions are worthy of this kind of attention.' Duncan sighed, picking up the figure of him. 'Connor for certain but not me, I was never a particularly active Assassin.'  
'You played your part in building up the Order, Duncan. That's what really matters.' Mary replied, resting one hand on his shoulder. 'We all played our parts.'  
'Even if some of us were on the other side of the conflict.' William nodded, looking at another of the images on the wall.

Stopping cold, Emilia turned to William and tucked the scroll through her belt as she headed towards him. Without a word, the rest of the rescued Templars came to her as well, refusing to meet her gaze as she reached out to them. She had never expected that the promises made in Egypt would lose effectiveness but by the looks of things, some Templar memories hadn't been erased from the world.  
'We weren't sure how to broach the subject, so we stayed silent.' Jonathan sighed, lifting his gaze for a moment. 'We never meant to upset ya.'  
'I'm not upset, John. Surprised, certainly but not upset.' Emilia replied, cupping his cheek lightly.  
'But we shoulda said somethin', right?' Thomas asked, shaking a little as he huddled into William's side. 'We shoulda told ya.'  
'Yes, you should have mentioned this but its okay Thomas. We'll get through this.' Mario nodded, joining the group and looking down at Thomas.  
'I don't want to remember though.' Benjamin uttered, hugging himself and shuddering. 'I don't wanna think about what I did.'  
'No one here holds any grudges, Benjamin.' Edward soothed, reaching out to his old friend. 'I'm here if you ever want to talk about those times.'  
'You don't have to face those demons alone, any of you.' Connor nodded, moving to Haytham's side.  
'Thank you, son.' Haytham smiled softly, a little hurt that Edward had gone to Ben first.  
'As much as it pains me to say this, now isn't the right time or place to discuss this. I am not trying to diminish what you have endured, I will make the time to sit and talk with each of you individually to help you through this. Right now, however, we need to focus on deciding if we want to follow Petruccio's plan right through. That means you each need to consider if you're willing to stand up and make your story public knowledge.' Emilia offered, hating to change the subject but time was short if they were ever going to get this grand plan off the ground.

Attention once again turned to the display around them, various conversations sparking up as they tried to decide if this idea was even feasible. Plucking the scroll from Emilia's belt, Mario handed it to Gilberto and explained that it was a list of potential actors that could take his role and bring it to life. Humbled by the thought, Gilberto thanked him and tucked the scroll away safely before turning his full attention back to Niccolò.  
'Where do we even start with this idea?' Deborah asked, looking around slowly. 'There are so many stories to tell.'  
'Does this mean we can finally tell Desmond's story?' Rebecca asked, turning her attention to Emilia for answers.  
'No, we will not be telling Desmond's story. He is not considered a true Assassin; he fled from the truth and willingly worked with a double-agent. The Global Council made the call that the Miles and Stillman families were to be struck from the Archives of the Order but thankfully we were able to convince them not to strike off the Crane and Hastings families for assisting with the breakaway.' Giovanni replied, striding through the group.  
'The modern story will have to be completely rewritten, putting you two at the centre and connecting through your own family trees.' Mario added, moving through the group. 'Or we could spin it to follow Shane and his team at District 27.'  
'It would make sense to start with the Italian stories. We already have several key locations secured and more than enough room to build the sets that we don't already have. We can keep costs down by asking those who are employed to help in both cities to fill extra roles as required and even step out of our comfort zones personally to fill minor roles.' David nodded, wrapping one arm around Deborah's shoulders. 'I could see you dressed as a young Italian noblewoman for Ezio to flirt with.'  
'Masyaf still stands, why not start there? After all, that's where everything started.' Altair challenged, glancing at Malik for a moment.  
'Masyaf is no longer safe to use. After the ancient fortress was abandoned on your orders, very few Assassins went near it. It fell into total abandonment in the 1500's and has been slowly crumbling into nothing ever since. Sometimes young Assassins will journey to the ruins to see where the Order began but for the most part, it's a forgotten relic in the middle of a war zone.' Teodora shrugged, gaze drawn to an image of Masyaf at the peak of power. 'We would have to build a replica somewhere safer, far from the conflicts in the region.'  
'Rebuilding Masyaf would be an expensive gamble for a first effort. At least by starting in Italia, we can save money and get the project started. If people like what we're offering and support us, then we can start looking at other ideas and taking on bigger and more expensive projects. We need to build a fan base before we try anything as expensive as trying to rebuild the strongholds of the Levantine Assassins.' Aloysius agreed, standing tall with his family.  
'Italia is the wisest choice. Even trying to create my story would require hundreds of extras and months of training to create guards, Janissaries, civilians and Assassins. Here we already have most of what we need and the rest won't take long to train.' Yusuf nodded, refusing to look at anything relating to his story. 'And that's not considering how expensive it would be to recreate Istanbul.'  
'Besides, just because we're focused on Italy doesn't mean we can't play our parts in the movie. We've already started doing it when we take our places in the Firenze revival district or conduct business in Monteriggioni. We know how to make the Italian story come alive as a team, it's the only story that we all have a part in.' Jean-Claude grinned, coming up beside Giovanni. 'We can make this work. We need only believe in the project and focus on each step ahead.'

Now that everyone seemed to agree that starting with the Italian Assassins made the most sense, attention turned to the key details that needed to be considered. There were so many options to chose from, each one special and important for various reasons. No one had any doubt that the Auditore would be the stars of the show; they had been a core part of the Italian Brotherhood for so long so it made perfect sense.  
'So, how is the great Giovanni Auditore I going to die this time?' Jacob asked; a sparkle of mischief in his eyes. 'Would you prefer hanging or disembowelment?'  
'Anywhere else and people would really worry about you, Jacob.' Lorenzo remarked, shaking his head slowly. 'You sound far too happy asking such a question.'  
'His question is valid, Lorenzo. You might not like it but the truth remains, Giovanni I died twice and only one story can be told.' Giovanni chuckled, digging out a florin and glancing at Mario. 'Call it, fratello.'  
'Heads for a hanging.' Mario nodded, all eyes drawn to the spinning coin, already in the air before Mario finished speaking. 'Tails for evisceration.'

Snatching the coin out of the air, Thomas slapped it into William's hand and withdrew his fingers to reveal Giovanni's fate. Everyone leant closer, trying to see the coin but they all knew William would never cheat on such an important decision.  
'I hope someone knows how to build the gallows. We're going to have a hanging.' William declared, tossing the coin back to Giovanni.  
'Well, at least it's sure to be painless.' Giovanni grinned, pocketing the coin and tucking Maria in against his side. 'Do not worry, amore, no one will get hurt.'  
'I know, but I still worry.' Maria sighed, snuggling in closer and trying to relax.  
'Does this mean we'll need to find someone who can play Federico's role?' Ezio asked, holding Rosa close and meeting Giovanni's gaze across the gathering.  
'Si, we will have to find someone to play his role. Someone who doesn't care that their role will be so minor compared to others.' Giovanni agreed, thankful that Maria was still oblivious to the true reasons behind Federico's death back then.

Now that everyone was focused on Italia and the Auditore stories, Emilia whistled sharply to draw attention as Cesare came to her with a notebook and pen. Dismissing him to watch the children, Emilia led the team through to the lower gallery and motioned for them to all sit and relax.  
'Okay, now that we're in agreement about Italia, we need to figure out everything that we'll need to make this work. Take some time to think about it, work out roughly how many extras you'll need to fill various scenes and the locations we'll need to access or rebuild. Once we have some rough ideas, we can start making approaches to various production companies to see who can match our needs.' Emilia declared, holding up the book. 'Bring your ideas and needs to me; I'll keep it all together for easy perusal.'  
'Also, those of you who weren't part of the original story, consider if there are any roles that you would like, that won't necessarily show your face to the cameras.' Mario added, turning his focus to Thomas and William for a moment.  
'Well, straight up we'll need to recast the Pazzi family. Vieri is useless as anything but a serviatore.' Ezio shrugged, meeting Giovanni's gaze for a moment before guiding Rosa outside.

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By the end of the first day of open discussions, Emilia already had a long list of locations and extras that would be required to make this movie a reality. There had even been some offerings of where extra members of the extended family could take their places and get to experience the magic without being noticed. Some of the additions to the list had surprised Emilia, but she was thankful for the reminders of minor characters that each had a part to play.

It was certainly going to be a boon for extras; they would need dozens of specially selected people to become mercenaries, thieves, courtesans and civilians in four cities, along with simple country folk, guards and clergymen. Then there were the minor players to be positioned; Cristina Vespucci and her father, wives for Lorenzo and Giuliano de Medici, the de Pazzi family, not to mention the various messengers and other figures that the Assassins would have contact with.

Then of course there was the long list of buildings and locations that would need to be prepared, from entire cityscapes to simple flagstone roads and everything in between. Somehow they would need to create Forli and Venezia from scratch in a new location that looked exactly like the original locations. That wasn't even considering the problems they would have with getting permission to take accurate measurements and photographs of many ancient Roman ruins and completely rebuilding renaissance Roma.

However, it was Maria that came up with the crucial idea and spun it in such a way that it seemed the most logical way to create the movie. Instead of the repeated tragedies that had beset her family, she asked why they couldn't rewrite the story to have a better ending. Her reasoning made sense; outside the Assassins, no one knew the real story of the Auditore. It would be easy enough to explain away to the Global Council too, a slight change to protect the truth from those who had no need to know the entire story.

The idea challenged everyone, making them consider options that the traditional story eliminated from the start. But with typical Assassin bravado, they changed the plan and prepared to face the challenge head on. Thinking ahead, they commissioned every tailor, seamstress, armourer and leatherworker in both cities to make costumes and equipment for the movies. If the movies flopped, they would simply sell everything off to the constant crowds, well almost everything. They had no intentions of ever letting Firenze and Monteriggioni out of Auditore hands.

Bartolomeo surprised everyone when he suggested writing the Italian Assassin story as a trilogy, using the first to tell the story of Mario and Giovanni, the second to follow Ezio and the third to put the spotlight on the Ottoman Assassins and Ezio's later years. Yusuf jumped at the idea, fairly sure that his story wouldn't be anywhere near as exciting without Ezio's story twisted around it. Ezio of course denied that, he was confident that the Ottoman story could stand perfectly well without his presence. The two ended up in a spirited argument before Rebecca offered another solution. Instead of having Ezio take a lead role in two films, they could change the story to have Vanni and Renzo in Istanbul studying under Yusuf.

Gilberto and Aloysius came up with another grand idea, one that guaranteed that La Volpe would glide across Firenze's rooftops with the same skill and finesse that they all remembered. Instead of hiring an actor to play the role and having to go to all the trouble of training him how to free run and lead the thieves, Aloysius would take the part and play it with all the skill and charisma he could muster. At first, no one thought it possible for Aloysius to play such a crucial role but he encouraged them to show patience and left the meeting. 

Minutes later he appeared before them in Volpe's familiar browns and oranges, hood up and a sly little smirk on his lips. Moving through the gathering, he further surprised everyone with his flawless impersonation of the sly fox of Firenze. He'd managed to not only match the familiar mannerisms and voice but all of the little details that made La Volpe the stuff of legends. Chuckling softly, Gilberto asked if there were still any doubters and nodded slowly as everyone agreed that Aloysius was more than capable of taking on the infamous role.

As much as they discussed the movies and worked out how to create a cohesive timeline across the three Auditore movies, they also threw around ideas for the rest of the grand plan. They outlined ideas for novels to fit in alongside the movies and expand the story further. Key moments were picked from every story to become part of the graphic novel series and give anyone interested a chance to learn new details. The video game series also got a lot of discussion time, everyone offering new ideas on how to make their game different from everything else on the market.

Edward was the one who came up with one stunning way to guarantee their game was different. Instead of limiting each character to their own time and place, he suggested that they make it so any of the playable characters could be used in any of the scenarios. His example was putting Stephane through his paces in ancient Jerusalem, an image that left everyone wondering just how far they could push that idea.

Malik took to sketching out ideas on how the collectable figures should look, considering each character that would need to be portrayed and working out poses that would look dynamic and fit with the personality he was designing for. Leonardo helped with some of the more complex designs, his skills far more advanced than Malik's basic sketches. Leonardo also worked on recreating many of his most famous artworks to decorate the various rooms and halls that would be needed for the filming.

Digging through the archives, they pulled out maps and documents, planning out what would need to be rebuilt and creating a brand new story to tell the masses. Masterfully twisting truth and mistruth together, nitpicking the best parts of every story and deftly manipulating it to form a cohesive tale, they built their first draft script and sent it out into the world to see if anyone would bite on the idea.

Shaun and Rebecca took over the video game project, pulling together to create little mock ups of a few scenarios to help sell the idea to various companies around the world. Together they plotted and programmed six short videos, three showing Assassins in their correct time periods and three showing other Assassins in time periods that didn't match. Giovanni on the rooftops of Firenze. Connor flying through the trees around the Homestead. Edward at the helm of the Jackdaw. Yusuf sprinting though the streets of Roma. Mary in full battle mode in the shadows of Masyaf. Paola wearing full renaissance garb as she glided down the streets of modern Boston.

Each video showed a full scope of what the character could do and ran through a single simplistic mission that would lead them closer to the target they were tracking. They also showed interactions with other characters, some playable and others non-playable. Giovanni's video included a race against La Volpe, one of the many bonus activities that would be included in the game. For the sake of maintaining interest, in this case Giovanni lost the race and had to take on a second mission to obtain the information he needed.

Sending out requests for quotes on making the novels, comics, figures and posters, they continued working on the sheer numbers of extras that would still be needed. The figures were carefully calculated and advertisements prepared to suit all the different types that would need to be filled. Some of the requirements weren't exactly flattering and they ran the risk of being accused of whitewashing the story but they had to give it a try anyway.


End file.
